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Johannesburg - “I am officially Mrs Lichaba. I have an ID to prove it,” the bubbly Sophie Ndaba told City Press on Friday.
In November last year, Ndaba went to Italy with her businessman husband, Max Lichaba, and this is where he put a ring on it. They are now planning for their big day.
But Ndaba, a wedding planner of note, has a tough job ahead of her. She owns Sophla Events, which scored her a Pout Award at the Destination Wedding Planners Congress in August last year. She admits that it’s going to be challenging to plan her own wedding after 15 years of planning weddings for prominent people, ordinary people and celebrities.
“I am in talks with three people in the industry who are going to help me with my wedding planning. I’ve also approached three local designers who are going to design my wedding outfits. It’s going to be an intimate wedding with family and close friends,” she said.
Although the couple hasn’t yet found a venue or set a date, she said “it’s going to be somewhere in Europe”. She told City Press that they are not in a rush to get married because they want a “perfect wedding”. When asked about her dream wedding, Ndaba said it had to be simple, but elegant.
Ndaba is also doing things the old school way. She says she is going to do a big traditional wedding in Soweto, where she grew up.
“For me, a traditional wedding is a big deal before the white wedding because you tend to involve everyone close to you and see family and friends that you haven’t seen in years,” she said.
Although this will be Ndaba’s third marriage, she said there isn’t a formula for a successful marriage.
“Every marriage is different. I have no regrets. In my previous marriage I gave it my best and I still do even now. I am not perfect. Everyday I am praying to be a better wife and I also pray for him to be a better husband.”
Love overcomes all because Ndaba has found her soul mate: “He is my BFF. We are open to each other and we talk about everything,” she giggled.
Lichaba shared the same sentiment: “We do everything together. When I met her I didn’t see a girlfriend in her, but a wife.”
Lichaba said Ndaba has changed his life since he met her a year ago.
“I remember when I introduced her to my family for the first time. They were shocked that I brought a celebrity home and they said to me that she was going to bring attention to the family, but instead she has since brought joy to the family and they love her.”
He hopes that their marriage is for life.
“Hopefully this is the last wedding for both of us. We have been through a lot in our previous marriages and I have different baby mamas, and she has to deal with that too. But what I love about her is that she loves my children and she is involved in their lives.
“Sophie is not a trophy wife, she helps me to make big business decisions,” he said.
Ndaba is not only happily in love, but she is about to make a comeback on our TV screens.
“I have a TV show coming. I am excited about this new show because it’s new, fresh and different. Many people are going to see the other side of me, that I can be anything else besides being Queen Moroka [referring to her former Generations character]. Unfortunately, I can’t divulge more. The channel will make an announcement in the next few weeks.”
